1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a body structure of an automotive vehicle, and, in particular, to a vehicle body structure in which a body is connected to a chassis frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Heavy duty vehicles, such as off road vehicles have recently been developed and put into practice. Such a heavy duty vehicle typically has a vehicle body connected to a chassis frame. In addition to mono-chock bodies, heavy duty vehicle bodies with a chassis frame typically have a pair of side sills, having a closed cross section and extending in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle body, a floor panel connected to the side sills, and a pillar having a closed cross section and extending upward from each of the side sills. The vehicle body is practically connected to the chassis frame by means of a plurality of mount brackets secured to the vehicle body at appropriate separations and a plurality of support brackets secured to the chassis frame correspondingly to the mount brackets. The pillar is secured to a side roof rail of a roof panel.
In this kind of a body structure, the mount bracket is provided away from the pillar, and the pillar is mechanically indirectly connected at its lower end to the chassis frame, so that the stiffness of the connection is weak between the pillar and the chassis frame. Consequently, the pillar tends to cause vibrations due to an impact caused by a door when the door is closed and vibrations transmitted from a suspension and an engine during driving. Such vibrations of the pillar generate noises in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Further, the pillar may possibly be deformed by an impact upon a side collision. In order to increase the structural safety of the passenger compartment, the pillar and the chassis frame must be connected with increased structural stiffness.